Tag Archives: confidence

Crimes Against Messaging

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Being the “messaging company,” we’ve had the pleasure of working with some outstanding marketers and salespeople throughout the years. Thanks to all of you who are reading this… we continue to learn from you every day.

Unfortunately, some of the folks who call on our company to pitch their products aren’t quite up to your standard.  After years of sitting through painful discovery sessions and demos you’d need a PhD to understand, we’ve decided to start issuing tickets. Like the fashion police, but for crimes against messaging.

Violation #1: Knowing everything about my digital actions, but nothing about me. The amazing power of marketing automation and sales intelligence technology allows salespeople and marketers to track the “digital buying movements” of prospects around your website, landing pages, and email campaigns. But stalking ability isn’t insight. We get calls all the time from salespeople saying, “Hey, I see you downloaded our whitepaper. Let me tell you all about our solution.” While they know exactly what I’ve done on their website, they haven’t bothered to come to ours. Don’t let technology make you lazy. Do your homework, find out what your prospect company does and what their challenges are, and be ready to offer some real insight before you pick up that phone.

Violation #2: Talking around objections. An uncanny amount of salespeople believe that in order to counter an objection during their sales pitch, they need to just keep on talking… and talking… and talking, without ever answering the original question. And yes, it might work; I’m no longer going to ask any more challenging questions because frankly, I don’t have another twenty minutes to sit through the answer. But I’m still holding onto objections, and those objections could very well prevent me from ever buying from you. Objections are a good thing. Be ready for them, seek them out, and for goodness sakes stop talking when you’ve answered it.

Violation #3: Lack of confidence. Hey, selling is intimidating. And real confidence isn’t easy to fake. But remember, you talk to far more people like your prospect than they do. You’re helping solve problems they are facing every day. You are an expert. Stop thinking of yourself as a mere salesperson/marketer and start thinking of yourself as an evangelist, here to rid the world from the pains your solutions solves.

That’s a start. What other violations would you happily report to the Messaging Police? Give it your best shot in 140 characters — tweet it using #youhadmesolduntil … (you fill in the rest):

#youhadmesolduntil you started talking about your three degrees from Cambridge.
#youhadmesolduntil you mentioned “innovation” was what made you better than the other guys.
#youhadmesolduntil your elevator speech lasted over an hour.

And here’s a shout-out to a special alumni of ours who began handing out an award called the “Golden Hammock” for presenters who didn’t make use of Power Messaging techniques.

- Jeannie Frantz, Marketing & Sales Enablement, Corporate Visions, Inc.

Letters from the Road

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I was exhausted. The flights, from Reno, to Denver, to Munich and eventually to Istanbul had taken their toll. I was dealing with a ten-hour time change, my class had run long and I knew I was going to have to face rush-hour traffic.

As I left the building, I looked out to Buyukdere Cadessi road, where I was headed. It was jammed with traffic. There was no visible movement. It was going to be a very long trip to get to the Istanbul Hilton some twenty kilometers away. After what seemed like hours of searching and waiting, I finally spotted a cab. I quickly signaled and crawled in the back. The driver didn’t speak English and I don’t speak Turkish. So I showed him where I needed to go, then out of weariness, closed my eyes in an attempt to recharge.

I opened my eyes 10 minutes later, only to see that we had not even made it out of the parking area. After another 20-minute nap, I woke up and found that my driver was actually making progress. We were going in and out of lanes, around motorcycles, buses, cars and even crowds of pedestrians lined up on the off-ramp. The sight was amazing. It made New York City rush hour look easy.

Now impressed with the progress we were making, I began to watch my driver. He could weave in and out of traffic really quickly, avoiding collisions and yet fluidly making progress. From the back seat, I noticed something very strange. Even though this was an automatic car, there was a stainless steel metal rod coming out from below the radio and extending out to just above the shifter. My driver rested his right hand on the shifter while moving the rod in a circular motion. What was the purpose of this rod? Could my driver have converted this car from an automatic to a stick with some kind of clutch mechanism? Now, my curiosity was peaked. I watched him steer in and out of traffic with his left hand and controlling the metal rod with his right. This seemed so odd. I leaned forward to get a better view and try to figure this out.

As I did so, I met his eyes in the rear-view mirror. He could see how curious I was. He turned and looked directly at me with very warm eyes and a smile so broad, so genuine that I can remember it to this day. As he looked at me with that big grin he took his right hand off of the metal rod and pointed down to his lap. I looked, first at the steering wheel, then down. What! No legs? He had no legs! Amazed, I looked up at the mirror and met that same warm smile. His expression was saying, “I can drive, I can drive!”

The steel rod, when turned to the right, was his connection to the accelerator. When turned left, it was the brake. I sat back in amazement. How could he drive so well with one hand? How could he have rigged this car to work this way? How would he even get to his car in the morning to go to work? I wondered how he lost both legs. How many angry tourists had yelled at him to get out of the taxi and get their luggage?

In spite of all of these images and questions, nothing impacted me quite like his warm smile and his pride in knowing that he can drive.
That taxi driver taught me so much that day. The lesson was about Ki. Ki is who you are on the inside. It’s who you are when no one else is around. It is you as you really are without the camouflage, without the subterfuge, without the hype. Strong Ki, combined with skill, can produce success where failure seems inevitable. Instead of focusing on his missing legs, the driver focused on his opportunity. He focused not on what was missing, but what he had. Oh, what a humbling thought.

It is natural to get into the habit of focusing on the pieces of your product or services that do not measure up to your competition. I realized how many times I had thought of things that were missing or limiting my success instead of recognizing my own attributes. Price, features and services are often obstacles that come to mind. It is very easy to let this become the starting point of a competitive analysis when facing a selling situation. Somehow, the grass really does seem greener when you look at your competition.

I should have learned this lesson many, many years ago. At the time I was selling for a Fortune 100 Company and all I could do was focus on the things we didn’t have. I wondered why our prices were always higher, why our service lacked at times and why we often did not have features that many of our competitors had. How in the world could my company expect me to accomplish the quota they raised every year?
One of my colleagues suggested I should write down every unique capability we had, no matter how large or small. Due to my respect for his success, I took him up on that challenge and overnight came up with a list of 25-30 capabilities that my company and product had that my competition did not. When I showed him my list he said, “Just look at how many of these things are very important to your customer that your competition cannot take into their sales call with them. But you’ve forgotten the most significant capability that none of your competitors can take into any sales call.” “What is that?” I asked. He looked at me and said, “You.”

Do you believe that you provide the best overall solution to your customer? Have you understood their issues and struggles so well, that you feel no one can help them move forward like you can? Do you feel that if your customer purchases from your competitor that somehow you have failed your customer? If you do not believe this, this is visible not only to you, but to your customer as well.

If you’re focused on the missing legs in your product, your company, or even yourself, I encourage you to do as I did many years ago: grab a pen and write down all of those things that you have, that you can carry into every sales call, that your competitors wish they had. The list is there, you just need to find it. Don’t forget to put yourself at the top of the list. Focus on what you have, not what you are missing. Do this and you can change your Ki. If you can accomplish this, you will find that you can accomplish great things, like driving a taxi without any legs. I will never know the name of that taxi driver. He will never know how he impacted my life. However, I will always remember that warm, smiling face, confidently saying “I can drive!”

By Steve Hub, Consultant, Corporate Visions Inc.

The Power of Reframing

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“I refuse to let my opponent’s youth and inexperience be a factor in this campaign,” was the response from an aging Ronald Reagan during the second Reagan/Mondale debate. According to many political pundits, this response awarded him a second term in office. The technique is known as a reframe and converts a negative perception into a positive outcome. A technique, when properly executed, that keeps you in the deal.

The origin of the term “reframe” used in sales situations is attributed to the world of art. When a painting is displayed in the oak frame it has minimal appeal; however, when a cherry-wood frame is placed around the picture it immediately comes to life – perceptions are changed and deals are made.

What would it be worth to a salesperson to have “reframes” ready for the predictable and reoccurring objections that customers have? What would it do for the salesperson’s level of confidence if they entered a selling situation armed with the possible responses to the inevitable objections that lay waiting to kill the deal? The value to the salesperson is priceless.

Reframes should be reserved for those objections that are truly emotionally laden. These objections may have been planted by the competition or exist due to folklore and the rumor mill attributing the observation to the infamous client of the past. Frequently introduced with, “I heard that …”

The observation that “you are too small” is immediately reframed by an example of citing something in the real world that is small yet beneficial – perhaps a pace-maker. This case in point is followed by examples of other customers who had the same concerns, however, now realize the benefits of working with a smaller company that was quick to respond, focused, and willing to listen to individual concerns.

The objection that “you are too big” is reframed by drawing their attention to something that is big and yet beneficial. One may be discouraged by the complexity of a solution but be comforted by recognizing the value of products with a great deal of complexity, but are nevertheless very beneficial to the user (i.e. cell phones and ATM machines).

To avoid drilling down into a feature-function dump, inserting reframes that reference your hobby or favorite pastime are very effective. These reframes require no supporting documentation, may be spontaneous, are energized due to your innate interest, and you are the in-house expert. An additional advantage of offering a reframe relating to a personal interest may also introduce a common bond, thus serving as an additional avenue of rapport.

Reframes are not needed in order to respond to observations that require merely an answer. For instance, if a prospect makes the observation, “I’ve heard your deliveries are frequently late,” there is nothing wrong with admitting that in the past that may have been the case. However, with the implementation of your new supply chain management system that problem has been eliminated. There is no need to introduce a reframe citing that a later delivery date for an expecting mother may be beneficial to the child.

Don’t run or hide from an objection – embrace it! Changing a prospect’s perception and making a negative appear as a positive may be the difference between winning and losing the sale. Learn from “The Great Communicator” who saved a presidential election, and “Reframe” the objection!

By Dr. James Haviland, Consultant, Corporate Visions Inc.

Increase Your Ki

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What do the following people have in common?
- Martin Luther King
- John F. Kennedy Jr.
- The Best Salesperson in Your Company

Give up? Strong Ki! Ki is personal energy and passion built from your belief in the value of your solution or product, your conviction that your value will improve your prospects’ world, and your commitment to seeing that value realized in results.

Customer Story: How Stella got her Ki Groove Back
Everyone has nicks in their selling blade. If not, you haven’t taken it out of the case. Do you focus on those nicks, or do you just keep on swinging? A client of Corporate Visions, Stella, was discussing her product at a Power Messaging workshop. She kept focusing on all the negatives of her product and her company, all the nicks in their blade. When she was finished complaining we asked, “So, why don’t you leave the company if it’s that bad?” She paused, shifted her stance, and began sharing all the great contributions her product and company were making to the software industry and their clients. By the time she finished, her body was alive with passion and infectious enthusiasm. It became obvious she did believe in her solution and company. We pointed out, “Now you’ve got Ki!”

5 Tips for Increasing Your Ki

  1. Know your Power Positions.* Believe in them. Focus on them. Deliver them with power and passion.
  2. Think of a time your product fulfilled a client need. How did it make you feel? Develop a story around that instance. Deliver it with power and passion.
  3. Why did you join your company? What inspires you to go to work each day? Have a personal connection with your company’s mission or purpose.
  4. Think of a time when your actions made a difference, or when you were successful at a project. How did that make you feel? Capture that feeling of fulfillment and remember that instance at your next sales call.
  5. Do not focus on the competition and how you compare. Focus on your client’s needs and how your solution can relieve their pain.

Ki Building Exercise
List the strengths of your product/service. Now list your competitors’ weakness and vulnerabilities. There is no need to use their weakness for negative selling. The quiet knowledge that the competition isn’t all that its cracked up to be will build your confidence and your ability to defeat them.

Take the Ki Strength Test
Do you focus on the negative and let it ruin your energy?  Or are you genuinely excited about the difference you, your company, and your product is making? Take the following test to discover how strong your Ki is.
True = 2 pts.
False = 1 pt.

  1. I believe in my company and their mission.
  2. I know my prospects problems and goals. I am willing to help them find solutions.
  3. I am passionate about my solution and am excited to share the value it brings people.
  4. My desire to serve is obvious and evident.
  5. I know everything there is to know about my company.
  6. When I feel my solution will not serve the best interests of my prospect, I get out of the deal.
  7. I am creating sustainable relationships based on mutually beneficial business.
  8. I am not afraid to try new strategies that may help bring my value to life.

How did you score?
14-16    Congratulations! Your Ki is strong and you’re ready for anything.
11-13    Looking good but you could use a Ki tune-up.
8-10    Red Alert! Your Ki is so weak you’re barely surviving. You need help fast! Contact Corporate Visions today!

 

*Power Positions are your key value propositions. They are unique to your solution, important to your prospect, and defendable. Corporate Visions can help your company uncover your Power Positions. Contact info@corporatevisions.com for more information.